The Bet
by Chibi-chan v2.5
Summary: Fed up with Zelos' lewd comments and boasting, Sheena decides to challenge his self-assured skills and strikes a deal with the male Chosen. While risking her own small crush, Sheena bets that Zelos can't "get" Lloyd. [future male-male relationship]
1. prologue

The Bet  
By: Chibi-chan v2.0

**Author Notes:**  
This pairing has been rapping at my mind too, too much.

**Warnings:**  
-[Future] m/m relationship  
-Maybe some OOC (forgive me)  
-TWT (Timeline, What Timeline?) – meaning, this is occurring during no specific event in the game. It's just _there._  
-Slight to mild language  
-Most likely a future m/m sex scene (will be linked offsite)?

**Key:**  
"…" denotes dialogue  
_Italics_ denote thought

**The Bet**  
prologue  
–  
Gleaming rays of the afternoon sun shone brightly down on the flourishing earth under its warm caress, mothering the land tenderly. A slight wind breezed through the refreshing atmosphere, slowly pushing along light, thin clouds that lined the pale blue sky. Monsters roamed freely in the area, some hidden in the forest and others near the sands where the water flowed.

Everything seemed perfect. It was a beautiful day, nothing out of the ordinary; ideal conditions to train without any important interruptions bothering Lloyd and his friends.

They had ventured out of Meltokio a couple hours earlier in hopes of a good session against some local monsters, or as Raine put it, investing valuable time in research to further brighten young minds. However, the afternoon didn't keep straight on its attended agenda, sadly enough.

The first few fights went rather smoothly, no one barely had gotten hurt, maybe a scratch or two, nothing extreme though. But after the fifth fight or so, Zelos had made a crude remark about Sheena's accommodating "assets" that she always brought to battle. Sheena angrily took the bait, retorting back with a vicious remark how Zelos was a pig and how girls fawned over him was way beyond normal comprehension and sanity. This soon sprung the makings of a long, overdue fight, both equally shooting back personal insults.

This definitely brought the team's spirit down from its overflowing boil of "Let's go get 'em!" energy to a depressing simmer of "Oh hell, not again."  
–  
Lloyd sat on a large rock, one leg hiked up to his chest, while his arms wrapped loosely around the limb, chin nestling on a comfortable place on the top of his knee. Brown eyes went left and right in accommodating directions, each time shifting on to either Zelos or Sheena, which ever one was spouting a comment at the time.

Of course, he couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could see their mouths move despite the fact that he was a pretty good distance away from them. He switched between the two of them constantly, sometimes lingering more on one because their response had been long (he could tell by certain gestures they made, he was used to them by now and could probably make a handbook for them all; it could be informative to foreign speculators!). They seemed to have a _million_ – well maybe not that much, but _a lot_ of things to say about one another. Lloyd swore it had already passed the fifty-minute marker and was nearing close to an hour.

He didn't know who had the upper hand, but he figured it might be Zelos. No matter what Sheena said about him, he noticed that it was taken with a mock pouting face or a smug grin; yet, whenever Zelos flung back a handful of figurative mud, Sheena's fists clenched out of rage and her eyes narrowed to thin slits.

Whoever was winning though, he hoped they'd win _faster_. He didn't want to waste a nice afternoon watching two of his friends bicker incessantly. _Then again, the afternoon is already wasted,_ a mean little voice in the back of his mind reminded him, telling him the depressing truth of the ordeal. And it was completely logical to say that the nearby monsters had probably gotten scared off by all the loud bantering; who or what would willingly stay close enough to actually listen to them argue back and forth?

What a bad day this was beginning to be and it had started out so...serenely, too.

"This is insane," Lloyd mumbled under his breath.

"You're telling me."

Shifting his head to look sideways, attention drifting over to the person who answered him, Lloyd caught the light coloring of Genis' hair. The boy was leaning against the same rock he was sitting on and from what Lloyd could tell, Genis had a bored expression planted on his face, bordering on annoyed the way a thin brow twitched.

Lloyd shrugged. "How long do you think it'll last?" Couldn't be too long, he knew Zelos could be long-winded, but he also knew Sheena had a short fuse. This meant that soon he would either be sporting a large wound or she would stomp away angrily, swearing chants up and down on the older male. He didn't care which came first, as long as she ended it because surely Zelos wouldn't finish it, considering he probably found the whole situation utterly amusing.

"I give it another ten minutes." Genis rubbed his forehead and Lloyd caught the action, wondering if he had gotten a headache from watching them (how long had Genis been speculating there, anyway?). "Sheena will end it soon, her figure is practically shaking."

Nodding, he turned his focus back towards the argument. Lloyd noted Sheena did look quite livid. _But she has a reason, I would be mad too._

Lloyd let out a sigh, eyes drifting down at the grass. When the fight was over, Sheena probably wouldn't want to go back to training. The day was spoiled and the only thing that would be left over to do was going to be to wait for them to level their heads and be patient until the animosity lowered back down under a safe marker.

The group was in for a rough night.

_Oh, the group._ Lloyd blinked, he had forgotten about everyone else. When Zelos and Sheena had started up, he distantly recalled that everyone had disbanded afterwards. _I guess we were all aware of how this was going to turn out._

Lifting his head up from his knee, Lloyd brought his leg back down and he relaxed backwards, his palms steadying themselves on the rough surface of the rock. He swiveled his head left and right, trying to glimpse around for his friends. When he couldn't find them, Lloyd glanced to Genis for an answer. "Hey, where's everyone else? I don't see them."

Genis stared up at Lloyd and shook his head. Lloyd's obliviousness to his surroundings was sometimes annoying, but it was normal. "They went back to the hotel almost twenty minutes ago," he informed Lloyd. He was quiet for a couple of seconds then asked one of his own questions. "Is their fight that entertaining to keep your attention?" Genis inquired, genuinely curious. Usually it was a hellion's task to hold Lloyd's interest.

"Ah," Lloyd shrugged sheepishly, "I don't know." He wouldn't call the fight _entertaining_, more like something to pass the time with by watching. Kind of like a watching a play – it was boring, but it had its "good" parts, with the end always being the best thing (for he could finally _move on_ to something else).

Genis rolled his eyes. That Lloyd. The small boy stole a tiny look at Sheena, the summoner had her arms raised high in the air, the limbs waving about carelessly in anger, mouth moving rapidly. It was a sign. Genis turned to Lloyd, "I guess I was right," he tapped his wrist as if to mimick he had a watch, "the ten minutes is almost done." Sheena had a wild stance about her, Lloyd amusingly thought it looked like she was about to rip Zelos a new one.

Giving a short nod, eyes returning to stare at his two friends, one word resonating in Lloyd's mind.

_Finally._  
–  
"Ohh, I'm going to kick your ass if you don't take that back!" Sheena shouted angrily, her arms whipping wildly in the space above her. If she _could_, she would have shoved Zelos off a cliff and into the ocean a long time ago.

Zelos shot her a cocky smile and leaned in. He winked and in smooth tones said, "You like it kinky, huh? I suppose we could meet up tonight in a private hotel ro—" He was cut off when he dodged a fast-coming fist, which was, he guessed, aiming for his chin. It would have been a wicked blow if it actually had connected. He knew he was treading on a thin wire, but it was _so_ fun to see his purple-haired teammate get riled up.

Sheena retracted her fist, angry that she hadn't met his skin. She figured with his mouth flapping, he wouldn't have noticed it coming. Hmph. _Asshole._ "Stop trying to act suave, thinking you can get any gir—"

"Any_body_."

Her lip curled up a bit at the "correction." Oh, that was right, Zelos was damn sure of himself that he could get girls _and_ guys. Arrogant jerk thought he was high and mighty when it came to smooth talking, she would put him in his place…

Sheena's eyes widened. That was it. Put him in his place. If this had been a cartoon, a light bulb would have comicly popped over her head and shone off its one hundred watt glow at her sheer brilliance.

A confident smile spread over her face, body relaxing, all signs of agitation gliding off her as if they were never there to begin with..

Zelos quirked an eyebrow at the sudden change and rocked back on his heels – oh ho, did Sheena have some kind of plan brewing? If she was thinking of putting herself up on the stakes to see if he was true to his word on "woo-ing", he could _totally_ bed her within a week, maximum; no one – man or woman – could resist his charms and he prided himself fully in them, perfecting each and every one of them to a tee.

Sheena lifted her chin up in defiance. "So you say you can get _anybody_, eh?"

Giving her a confident leer, he responded coolly, "Of course." This was it; he was going to finally get Sheena. Her fiery attitude was probably a _great_ addition under the sheets, such roaring passion it could be!

Shooting back her own positive grin, Sheena stood up straight, back rigid. "Man or woman, huh. I bet you won't be able to get this person."

Oh, a _defensive_ stance, this was an excellent indication of what was coming up in a few moments. This was what he had been waiting for. Zelos tilted his head, "Care to try me out?"

Sheena ignored the blatant double-edged comment and nodded. That idiot probably thought she was putting herself up for this bet – ha, as if, she would sink that low. Even though she was aware Zelos had _some_ skill (and she said that sparingly), she knew he would never be able to ensnare this person with his tricks. Besides, she was sure most of Zelos' experience was with only young teenaged girls and women; this was a good advantage she was going to use against him.

_I'm sorry I have to include him in this though. I hope he doesn't hate me._ Despite her own belief that she would win, Sheena was taking a large risk by putting her "small" crush on the line for the sake of the bet. If Zelos got him, it really _would_ mean he's the best (at least, in her mind) because the person she was talking about was blissfully ignorant to romantic feelings and even out-right come-ons. She was truly surprised at his density when it came towards things such as this.

Sheena eyeballed Lloyd swiftly out of her peripheral vision, knowing Zelos wouldn't catch the quick gesture. She noticed he was staring at them. Genis, too. They probably had a great time watching them both make fools out of themselves. Thankfully though, she and Zelos were out of reach from their prying ears, this was going to between only the two of them.

Turning back to Zelos, who was still looking like he had already caught the mouse before the game had begun, she said, "Okay, I'll try you, all right. If I win, promise me you won't make any crude comments about me and spare us _all _of your indulging details of your late-night trysts with people."

Zelos looked at her, hiding anxiousness easily, his grin never wavering. This was it. "Done. Care to specify on what you mean by "get"?" He needed specifics, he didn't want to mess up this once-in-a-lifetime deal. "And is there a time limit to this little match…also what if _I_ win?" His voice was dripping with self-assurance.

She took in a breath and closed her eyes. "By get, I mean, _get_ – have sex. You always seem to be able to brag constantly about doing the act so I figure it must be almost too easy for you to go that far. No matter who it is." She swatted away the nagging voice in her mind. _Yes_, she knows she just complimented him and it was going to haunt her the rest of her life. But the thing was, she doubted Zelos could **bed** Lloyd – though the brunet seemed outgoing and headstrong, she doubted that he would willingly have sex with Zelos unless he actually _felt_ something rather strong for him and never mind the fact, Lloyd could possibly be straight and not even give a damn towards Zelos advances if he noticed them. These comforting thoughts soothed her a little bit more.

She answered the rest of his questions, a new lift in her voice, "No time limit. And if you win, I'll admit that you can rightfully make anyone fall in love you, want you, have sex with you, whatever with you – despite their gender," she mentally gave her eyes a good roll at what she was saying and dissuaded herself from kicking Zelos in the temple when he smirked.

In a serious voice, she continued, "And you may have the," faltering a moment, her disposition cracking slightly before she composed herself, "privilege of declaring it "loud and proud" and I won't get on your case about it anymore."

Zelos raised an eyebrow. He was kind of getting gypped if he won. But when he thought about having a sweet, voluptuous body like Sheena's pressed up against his, he supposed the losing deal balanced with the winning deal accordingly after all. "It's a bet then." He smiled, one that melted many girls' hearts at first glance. "Now, who's this "person" going to be?" His query was an obvious jest in his mind, he figured it was going to be Sheena.

Taking the moment to turn her head, Sheena stared at Lloyd. He blinked at her when her gaze rested fully on him, their eyes making distant contact, and even far away from her, he lifted a hand and waved, a lopsided smile adorning his young face.

Waving back weakly, barely able to conjure up a smile for the teenager, Sheena tightened her jaw – she couldn't turn back now – and cast a collected, knowing glance at the Chosen. "Zelos Wilder, I bet you can't _get_ Lloyd Irving."  
–  
to be continued…**  
–  
****Author Notes:**  
I'm not sure how fast I'll be able to get out chapters…but hopefully; I can keep this updated regularly. As for how long this might turn out to be, not sure, just have to go with the flow. 


	2. part i

The Bet  
By: Chibi-chan v2.0

**Author Notes:**  
Hey, look, it's the first part! And a thanks for all the nice reviews, everyone.

As a heads up, there might be slight minor hinting towards other couples (like for instance Sheena liking Lloyd), but for the most part it's going to be focused on Zelos and Lloyd's relationship, but I will definitely, heavily involve other characters.

So in saying that, _yes_, it is mainly going to be m/m, but in no means will Zelos and Lloyd eclipse everyone else. The other characters will have their own scenes coming up, even if they most likely are going to be shared with either Zelos or Lloyd (or both or neither) – I'm going to have to, to make this work, because seeing as Lloyd is a big friendship guy, I doubt he would do things without asking people he trusts first on what they think (or if he just wants to discuss certain issues with them that may arise, in which he'll probably end up being confused :p).

**Warnings:**  
-[future] M/M relationship  
-Maybe some OOC (forgive me)  
-TWT (Timeline, What Timeline?) – meaning, this is occurring during no specific event in the game. It's just _there._  
-Slight to mild language  
-[future] M/M sex scene (will be linked off site)

**Key:**  
"…" denotes dialogue  
_Italics_ denote thought

**The Bet**  
part i  
–  
A meteor suddenly came crashing from the sky above, pummeling into Tethe'alla soil and blew everyone out of existence with its massive radius of heated destruction…

Well, that didn't actually happened, but Zelos was wishing at the moment that it did.

Had he heard right or did he possibly need to check into finding a hearing device to decipher these weird words, moreover _name_, that were spoken none too long ago? But from the smile Sheena was beaming, he had heard right.

Lloyd Irving.

That was his "person"? Whatever happened to his sexy Sheena and her wanting to defend her honor and all that fabulous crap? He _thought_ she was definitely going to nominate herself to be the experimental subject, but she threw a _really_ good curve ball on him.

_Damn her._ She proved him wrong in not only just having breasts for show, but also some cleverness (which could be mistaken for cleavage at any time!).

"Ha, fine," Zelos glimpsed at Lloyd, who was now faced to the brat, Genis, talking about who knows what. "Lloyd will be _begging_ for me by the time I'm through with him." Really, it didn't matter who it was, Zelos could work through this beautifully, pass with a grade A mark and flying colors. He always managed to bag them in the end.  
  
Then again, he was never put in a situation where he had a person like…_Lloyd._

_How in two worlds am I going to do this?_ Zelos questioned finally in his head, his mouth pursed into a thin line, showing off his frustration, which contradicted his previous confident speech. He certainly wasn't lying when he said he could get both males and females…but Lloyd? Could you possibly categorize the teenager as an actual…**guy**? From what Zelos knew about him, he was about as naïve as they come when it came to things as simple as holding a girl's hand. Zelos wasn't even sure if he had done _that_ yet either.

Zelos didn't know if Lloyd could be considered a "real" teenager, also, let alone one of the male gender at that. Lloyd could either suppress his hormonal urges almost _too_ well or he was a pod-person from outer space that produces asexually. When he was Lloyd's age – Zelos can recall these memories quite fondly – he had already had penetrating sex at least once as well as oral sex (given and received) more than three times.

_And most likely, Lloyd probably doesn't even know what "sex" is._ He was exaggerating a bit, but…this was Lloyd. Could Zelos instead blame the poor planet Sylvarant in not teaching their residents the fine pleasures of the body? Or was it only his target and a couple of others (Colette sprang to his mind rather quickly) who were uneducated in this wondrous subject?  
  
It had to be Lloyd, Zelos concluded, since he remembered that a gorgeous person like Raine couldn't possibly go without having at least one sexual encounter in her life without being taught about it beforehand, if only a little bit of information at that. He figured out of all those books she had stored away in who-knows-where, maybe a couple had to have the naughty bits written down within the pages…

Zelos mentally slapped himself. He shouldn't be thinking about Raine and sex at the moment (though the images were quite enjoyable and pleasing), he needed to get his mind fully prepared for Lloyd and sex.

Boy, did that sound weird when talked about in the same sentence. Lloyd. Sex. Two words he would _literally_ be bringing together. It felt…weird; however, he should stop expecting the worse out of the circumstance if he was going to do this correctly. He needed to think of more positive thoughts.

Lloyd was probably going to end up being a good lay – it was outrageously obvious the swordsman was a virgin, and virgins were always a specialty of Zelos' when it came to deflowering time – _and_ he'd be able to enlighten Lloyd's simple mind on the matters of the body, especially on the "other" kind of fluid release that can be released.

_Maybe…this won't be that bad after all_, Zelos thought, mind picking up all the delicious possibilities for "virgin meat," _well, I still don't know how I'm going to lure in Lloyd, but I can deal with that gradually. _The whole ordeal about how he was going to be able to stun Lloyd with his cool words was a minor setback; his charisma would never fail him in this bet. He was going to have to use all the tricks in his personal book and probably make-up a few new ones along the way. He was about to dwell more on the subject – it needed as much analysis as possible to come up with the best strategies – but a piercing voice cut through his thoughts.  
–  
"You don't fool me – not so confident now, are you? I found someone you won't be able to touch and it's going to drive you mad." Her voice was more snide than usual when talking to Zelos, who instantly caught the happy glow flowing from Sheena's body language.

She absolutely loved the feeling of power and superiority that the situation had surfaced. Zelos was getting going to get what he deserved all these years; the disappointment of utter _rejection._ Though she was getting ahead of herself, she held high confidence in Lloyd to not be swayed easily by Zelos' buttered words – but she figured that might be because he wouldn't understand them…either way, if she won the bet (no matter why or how Lloyd declined the offers) Zelos would finally be forced out of her hair.

Zelos shrugged nonchalantly at the tarnishing comment. "I'm confident as ever, _sweetheart_," he smirked when he saw her fingers twitch at her side, "your choice just…surprised me. That's all. I think I'm allowed to feel this way considering my target." Surprise was an understatement. Its impact was more like a kick in the gut, a shove into a brick house, a punch right in his eye, and a fellow trip down a flight of stairs for luck.

"Hmph." Sheena batted intruding bangs away from her face in annoyance. She could see through Zelos' poor concealment. Confident. Yeah, sure. Whatever. "We should go back, everyone's probably fed up with this and I don't feel like being in your presence anymore." Blunt and straight to the point, no use in hiding her ill will at the moment.

Not waiting for Zelos to reply, she lifted her head to stare at Lloyd again and gave a nod in his direction. She watched him take the gesture as a positive sign, turned to Genis, and the two of them childishly high-fived each other. It was obvious they were happy this was over.

Sheena felt the same way, too…kind of. The bet was looming over her conscience and it bothered her, niggling in the back of her mind that she gave permission to Zelos to try and sex up Lloyd. _If anything does happen between them…it's my fault. _She sucked in a short breath. If she lost, she would take it within stride and keep to her word as promised.

Letting the air out of her mouth, she turned away from the male Chosen and started to walk towards Lloyd and Genis.

Zelos silently followed behind her, arms crossed over his chest, a smirk blooming on his features. "And so, the game begins."

Sheena ignored the comment.  
–  
Lloyd jogged up to meet Sheena, his twin swords clanging at his side as he moved. Genis was walking calmly behind him, his hands folded and perched on top of his head. Lloyd opened his mouth to greet Sheena, who he thought to be looking quite displeased with something. _I wonder what's bothering her._ Deciding he'd ask later when the time seemed more appropriate, the brunet grinned sheepishly, stopping in his tracks when Sheena was in front of him. "You two have to be the only people I know who could actually fight that long by trading insults."

Sheena leaned back on her heels, a genuine smile rushing to her face. She was embarrassed that Lloyd had watched her act like such a child and not the mature teenager she was supposed to be. "Yeah, well, sorry for making you guys wait."

Genis, who was now near Lloyd, shrugged and replied, "That's okay, Sheena. We know it wasn't your fault." Lloyd nodded in agreement. Genis peered off to the side, watching Zelos saunter up from behind Sheena. "Speaking of the devil…"

Shaking off the action of freezing up, or even flinching – the bet was only starting, there was nothing to be worried about, Zelos hadn't even made a move yet – Sheena gave a small, forced smile at Genis and Lloyd, ignoring the Chosen's return. "Why don't we go back to the hotel since this mess is all over?" _Even though a whole new mess is going to arise soon enough… _"The others are probably in their rooms waiting for us."

Zelos, finally reaching the trio and taking place next to Sheena, stood with his hands on his hips, a familiar twinkle in his eye. "What's this? We're going back already? And here I was hoping the four of us could go train a bit more." Genis rolled his eyes at the sarcasm, while Lloyd frowned and scratched his head, not quite sure how to respond.

"Uh, I don't want to take the chance…" Lloyd's voice trailed off, the statement left at a blank though he was sure at least Genis knew what he was hinting at. He averted his eyes to stare at the blades of grass that were sprouting up from the ground, digging the toe of his boot into the nutritious soil. That sure was awkward – he didn't to say something rude (Raine was always scolding him when he opened his mouth then inserted his foot, of course, not literally…Lloyd wasn't that stupid!). Maybe he should change the subject. Yeah, that was a good idea. _A very good one_, Lloyd congratulated himself.

Lifting his gaze back up, Lloyd flashed a friendly smile, hoping to conceal his anxiousness. "I mean, Raine might have our heads if we don't show up soon." He nodded, trying to enforce his persistence even though he had experienced the "Wrath of Raine" many a time before this. Besides, there was no need to train anymore today, especially not with these two in the same party; that was practically summoning death itself and asking it to personally strip you of your life. Not a pretty sounding idea.

Genis glanced at Lloyd, watching his best friend grow uncomfortable when no one was saying anything, but rather…just being oddly quiet. _It's up to me then. You owe me, _Lloyd, he thought jokingly. "For once, Lloyd is right," hey, he had to make it sound genuine, "my sister would grill us with lectures if we kept her waiting any longer and Colette is probably worrying about us."

Lloyd shot a look of gratitude at Genis, who in return, gave him a light shrug with a smile on his face, "Don't worry, I got your back…like _always_," was the significant meaning. He grinned and looked at Sheena and Zelos, waiting for their answer.

Moving a stray strand of hair away from her eyes and pushing it back behind her ear, Sheena conceded. "Of course, you guys go ahead though, I need to say something to our fellow male Chosen here."

Lloyd and Genis stared at each other for a few seconds; Sheena suspected they were contemplating on if it was the right thing to do to let them talk because there _was_ a possibility of another fight to come up when the person was like Zelos, the guy had _some_ mouth on him. And that wasn't a compliment.

With hopeful eyes, she gave a mental sigh of relief when she saw both of them nod hesitantly, signalizing that what she asked would be done. Lloyd gave a small warning glance at Zelos before saying, "Watching you two fight made me hungry." His teeth caught his lip and he chewed on it, "So don't stay back too long, all right?"

Sheena nodded. "Got it." She smiled gently when Lloyd turned away and started to walk back with Genis by his side. That guy...he always managed to brighten her worst times. Turning to Zelos, she crossed her arms.

"Okay, I just want to get one thing straight—"

"And it sure won't be Lloyd when I get through with him," Zelos stabbed quickly with a striking remark, a grin on his face. Sheena _wanted_ so bad to smack that bird-eating-cat-grin off his face and then some, but she held back the urge. She thought of Lloyd and his hunger and how he would most likely be disappointed in how she fell easily into Zelos' tricks…that sobered her up quickly.

"As I was saying – and please no comments from the peanut gallery until I'm done – yes, the game _has_ started…and may the best _person_ win."

Zelos' grin widened, nodding lazily as he strode past her, his confidence getting the better of him despite his actual apprehension on the situation. He stopped in his tracks when he was a few paces ahead of the stationary Summoner and looking over his shoulder, Zelos responded, "Why, yes, I know that. I just hope you'll remember when the best **man** wins, he'll get full bragging rights to what he's accomplished."

Sheena didn't fall in his word trap this time; she was stronger than that – she _was_. "You say that now Zelos, but you'll see…it's not going to be easy. Not easy at all." She was waiting, just _waiting_ for that moment when Zelos was going to screw up this bet. And when he did, she would relish that the hotshot wasn't "hot" anymore with an ugly blank mark on his record.

Zelos let out a low chuckle, flicking a piece a hair away from his cheek. The sound made Sheena's blood boil. _That pompous idiot, laughing – acting – like this is like some dumb joke! We're playing…_her thoughts hesitated when a small dawn fell upon her…_we're playing with someone's feelings. _A pang of guilt wrapped around her heart, threatening to make it bleed. But she couldn't go back on her word, it would be disgraceful and keeping to her principles was something she vouched deeply for. Instead, she hoped that Lloyd could forgive her in the future if he got hurt, which was certainly going to be inevitable in this case because sooner or later, the word of the bet would be completely out (despite their know-how to keep it between themselves) under certain circumstances and there was going to be some prices to pay.

Wrapping her arms around herself, an action of security, Sheena stared at Zelos' back, her voice serious, "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into," _and neither do I._ However, she was ready to accept consequences and make do with them – make the mistakes better when they arise…work them out if they can…never give up, no matter what happens.  
–  
Not bothering to respond to the last statement, Zelos kept his head high and stalked off in his usual nonchalant manner, more than ready to get back to the others rather than to stay and squabble endlessly (even he had his limits). As he walked casually, his hand lifted slowly to his dagger, lingering above the hilt steadily. It was a normal instinct that had been instilled within his mind when he was young – protect himself whenever there could be possible danger, never trust anyone, they could backstab you at anytime…never go into a situation half-blind and with no clothes on…he had learned that one later in life.

Zelos sighed and shook his head, his fingers dancing lightly on his weapon. His eyes caught the red suit of Lloyd's and the silver hair reflected on Sheena's "parting" words. Of course he had put up that front for her; if he let her see him crack under the – minor – pressure, it wouldn't be right or fitting – giving her more satisfaction was the last thing he wanted to do. His face went rigid, uncharacteristically serious. _You're wrong, Sheena. We both know what we're getting into; from the moment you dished out the proposition and the moment I impulsively accepted it. The only person who doesn't know what's going to be thrown in their direction is Lloyd._  
  
And at that moment, he truly questioned if he could win this and not feel any sort of regret for his actions.  
–  
to be continued…  
–  
**Author Notes:  
**Hm…now that this is done, Zelos and Sheena are feeling some guilt at their impromptu decisions, but despite all that, they'll still go through with this. Time to start on part two – where the real fun begins, Zelos might be a bit anxious, but don't think that'll stop him from trying to win over Lloyd and win the bet – though the real question still lies…at the end of this, will Zelos actually be able to treat Lloyd like another of his trysts and let it go so simply? Or will he start to feel some sort of attachment? :P 


End file.
